A fraud alert is a free note on your credit file telling lenders to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. An initial alert lasts one year; an extended alert for identity theft victims lasts seven. Placing it with one nationwide bureau places it with all three.
Also called: initial fraud alert, extended fraud alert, active duty alert, fraud victim alert
What it means
A fraud alert is a flag on your credit file. It doesn’t stop anyone from seeing your report. Instead, it warns any business that pulls the report to take extra steps to confirm it’s really you before opening a new account, issuing another card, or raising a limit. The FTC says all fraud alerts are free.
The three types
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1:
- Initial fraud alert (§ 1681c-1(a)). Anyone who in good faith suspects they are a victim of fraud or identity theft can ask for one. It lasts at least one year and can be renewed.
- Extended fraud alert (§ 1681c-1(b)). For identity theft victims who provide an identity theft report. It lasts seven years and also takes you off prescreened offer lists for five years.
- Active duty alert (§ 1681c-1(c)). For service members on active duty. It lasts at least 12 months and takes you off prescreen lists for two years.
You only need to contact one of the nationwide bureaus. That bureau must refer the alert to the other two.
What lenders must do
With an initial or active duty alert, a lender must have reasonable procedures to confirm your identity, and if you list a phone number, it must call you or take other reasonable steps before extending new credit (§ 1681c-1(h)(1)). With an extended alert, the lender must contact you in person or by the method you named (§ 1681c-1(h)(2)).
Free reports come with it
An initial alert entitles you to a free file disclosure from each nationwide bureau. An extended alert entitles you to two free disclosures in the next 12 months (§ 1681c-1(a)(2), (b)(2)).
Fraud alert vs. security freeze
A security freeze blocks most new creditors from seeing your report at all, and you must place it at each bureau. A fraud alert keeps your report accessible but adds a verification step. The CFPB’s summary of FCRA rights presents a fraud alert as an alternative to a freeze, though many victims use both.
Common problems
- The alert is missing from one bureau’s file even though another bureau was supposed to pass it on.
- A lender opens an account despite the alert without calling the number you listed.
- The alert expires and fraudulent accounts start appearing again.
When it can be an FCRA violation
A bureau that fails to place or refer an alert as § 1681c-1 requires may be liable. The fraudulent accounts themselves should be disputed and, with an identity theft report, blocked under § 1681c-2.
If fraudulent accounts stay on your report after you placed an alert and disputed them, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Related
- Security freeze
- Identity theft block
- File disclosure
- Consumer reporting agency
- Mixed file
- Identity theft cases
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- An Account on My Credit Report Is Not Mine: What Now?
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1, identity theft prevention; fraud alerts and security freezes (Cornell LII)
- FTC, What To Know About Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
- CFPB, What is the difference between a fraud alert and a security freeze?
- 12 CFR § 1022.3, definitions including identity theft report (Cornell LII)
- CFPB, A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
Updated November 2026. This glossary is written by FCRA Attorneys from public sources. It is general information, not legal advice, and is not affiliated with any credit bureau or industry association.